I recently visited Edison to scope out the area for yet another cafe to rate, and I was not disappointed when I found Sunmerry Bakery Cafe. The drive is a little bit of an inconvenience since Edison has some traffic along with its amazing drinks, but it is only a mere 10 minutes away from the College Avenue campus.
Sunmerry Bakery Cafe is located in a strip mall, so there is no need to worry about parking upon arrival. Once I stepped inside, I was greeted by a spacious area with some standing tables and places to sit. Directly on the left side of the cafe was a wide variety of baked goods, both savory and sweet. There were pastries warmed by light heat lamps and refrigerated desserts.
At the front of the shop was a display case of delectable cakes. There were also trays for the pastries as well as a microwave to heat everything up. The selection of bubble teas was not as extensive as some of the other bubble tea shops I have been to, but the shop had the basics in addition to some more elaborate options.
The menu included: a fresh tea series, milk tea series, specialty drinks, caffeine-free drinks and a coffee series. I noticed the shop had a list for its top six drinks, so I decided to order the shop's number one drink, the salted cheese with jasmine green tea, its number four drink, the fresh lemon honey green tea, bubble milk tea and a shredded pork puff pastry.
I sat down at one of the tables and ate the shredded pork puff pastry while I waited for my drinks. The pastry overall was delicious. The pastry outside was soft and croissant-like, and the shredded pork inside was savory. The sweet glaze on top of the pastry contrasted nicely with the salty pork, and the sesame seeds on top were a sharp, bitter addition to the pastry.
When I was halfway done with the pastry, my drinks were ready, and I was thrilled to wash down the pastry with some bubble tea. The first drink I tried was the bubble milk tea, which was just your standard milk tea: a semisweet black tea with milk and boba. The boba was a bit small and too chewy, but the tea was overall a decent choice.
Next, I decided to try the fresh lemon honey green tea, which had a cute lemon topper sealing the drink in. The tea was too sweet for my tastes, so I recommend getting a lower sugar level if you order this drink unless you have a sweet tooth. The tea had a lemon candy flavor with a spiced tea aftertaste, which I appreciated.
Saving the best for last, Sunmerry Bakery Cafe’s number one tea really was worthy of the title, which was the salted cheese with jasmine green tea. The jasmine taste is tantalizing, and the drink is the perfect level of sweetness with the jasmine shining through. The cheese foam has only a slight saltiness, which I appreciate since salty cheese foam sometimes leaves a strange aftertaste.
Pricing-wise, Sunmerry Bakery Cafe has pretty standard drink prices, which usually range from $4 to $6. The pastries are relatively cheap for their delicious quality, and there even is rainbow roll cake if you want some aesthetically pleasing dessert photos.
Sunmerry Bakery Cafe also offers delivery. You can get fresh pastries and delicious drinks delivered straight to your door, so if you are ever feeling lazy, quality food and drink are available at your fingertips.
The surrounding area of Sunmerry Bakery Cafe has plenty of amazing restaurants, so you can have more yummy food and a bubble tea and pastry pairing after your meal. The cafe is open until 9 p.m. each night, so keep that in mind if you want to visit the shop.
Sunmerry Bakery Cafe, overall, is the ideal bakery to visit. I would say based on pastries alone, this place might be my favorite cafe in all of the bubble tea shops I have tried this year.
Even though some of the drinks were not my favorite, the salted cheese with jasmine green tea was phenomenal, and with all of the pastries available, I will not hesitate to visit again. Not only are the prices fair, but the shop also does delivery, so there really is no excuse to avoid visiting Sunmerry Bakery Cafe.
Francesca Dodaro is a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore majoring in English. Her column, "Sip it Up," runs on alternate Wednesdays.
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